The latest chapter of My Hero Academia numbered 321 is finally out but fans seem to be losing mind over a scene which (in several people's opinion) implies that Mineta is bisexual. So Twitter is currently exploding with the question "Is Mineta bi?"

For those who haven't read the chapter yet, here's a fair warning: Spoilers ahead!

But in case you still want to know what transpired in the new BNHA (Boku No Hero Academia) chapter, you can check out the spoilers below:

  • MORE: My Hero Academia Chapter 321 Spoilers: From Class A to One For All

Why Do People Think That Mineta is Bi

After facing a delay due to the Tokyo Olympics, My Hero Academia chapter 321 finally saw its official release yesterday. And this is a snippet from the manga which has drawn the collective attention of readers on social media like Twitter.

As you can see, there is a line where Mineta says "I fell for you" to Deku. This is the reason why fans are suggesting that Mineta is a bisexual character. And yes, if you take the literal meaning, it does seem like Mineta is confessing his feelings for Deku.

This happens during the ongoing fight between Deku and his classmates where Mineta and Tsuyu try to get hold of him. However, if you take the whole context into consideration, it implies that it's not the power of One for All that makes Deku special. It is Deku's unwavering will and his dream to become a great hero that pushes him to fight even when the odds are not in favor and ultimately overcoming his fears or weakness.

So Mineta seems to be inspired by Deku's resolve and the line above could merely be admiration for Deku and not actual romantic interest. And there are a few reasons to back this theory.

Is Minoru Mineta Bi in MHA?

Many readers are arguing that the original word Mineta uses in the Japanese version is — 惚れた (horeta) — which does actually translate to "fell in love" or "adore." They are also using this as an explanation to why Mineta looks up wide-eyed at the Deku-Uraraka fistbump in chapter 256. Here's the scene:

However, there are other My Hero Academia manga readers who believe it could be a mistranslation of Mineta's line (which was done by Viz).

Now we know that for the majority of the part in BNHA manga, Mineta is always drawn to female characters — almost to the point of obsession where it has even worked as a motivation for him — suggesting that he's straight.

If I had to give my two cents on whether Mineta is canonically bi, I'd say that the confusion could merely be a result of the translations on VIZ media's end. And that Mineta might not actually be a bi character. But we will have to wait for an official confirmation from the mangaka Kohei Horikoshi for something concrete.

Having said that, I don't feel confident that something like that is actually going to happen but the possibility of a textual acknowledgment of a bisexual or queer character in a Shonen Jump series is a big deal in itself.